NHL 2016/17 - Day 132

Just three games today, beginning with...

The New Jersey Devils hosting the Montreal Canadiens. Al Montoya is mismatched with Cory Schneider in goal. New Jersey led off in the first period with a Kyle Palmieri goal, his nineteenth of the season, coming off of Travis Zajac. The Devils added on in the third period with a John Moore goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Joseph Blandisi. Montreal got on the board with an Alexander Radulov goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from Alexei Emelin and Jeff Petry. New Jersey shot back with a Zajac goal, his thirteenth of the year, a power play goal powered by Miles Wood and Palmieri. The Canadiens pulled back on a Max Pacioretty goal, his thirtieth of the season, courtesy of Nathan Beaulieu and Radulov. Montreal tied it with a Pacioretty goal, his second of the game and thirty-first of the year, via Shea Weber and Radulov. The Canadiens won 4-3 with an Alex Galchenyuk power play goal in overtime, his fourteenth of the campaign, with helpers from Weber and Radulov, the latter earning a sock trick. The three stars went to Pacioretty, Radulov, and Zajac, while Palmieri and Weber get the honorable mentions.

Down in Florida, the Tampa Bay Lightning welcome the Ottawa Senators. Mike Condon and Andrei Vasilevskiy draw the starts in goal. Ottawa began in the first period with a Kyle Turris power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Erik Karlsson and Mike Hoffman. Tampa Bay got on the board in the second period with a Brayden Point goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. The Lightning took the lead with a Nikita Kucherov power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, assisted by Victor Hedman and Jonathan Drouin. Tampa Bay added on with another Kucherov power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the year, with assists provided by Drouin and Tyler Johnson. The Lightning extended the lead as Kucherov completed his natural hat trick on another power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, guided in by Hedman and Drouin, the latter earning a sock trick. Tampa Bay padded the lead in the third period on a Braydon Coburn goal, his third of the year, coming off of Kucherov and Johnson. The final stood at 5-1, with the three stars awarded to Kucherov, Drouin, and Hedman, while Johnson gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Minnesota Wild bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Devan Dubnyk are the masked men. Los Angeles struck first in the first period with a Nick Shore goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Marian Gaborik and Jake Muzzin. Minnesota tied it on a Nino Niederreiter goal, his twentieth of the year, via Jared Spurgeon and Ryan White. The Kings retook the lead with a Tanner Pearson goal, his twentieth of the season, going in unassisted. The Wild tied it in the second period with a Jordan Schroeder goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Chris Stewart. Los Angeles gained the lead again on a Muzzin goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Nic Dowd and Dwight King. Minnesota tied it once again with a White goal, his eighth of the year, assisted by Eric Staal. The Kings pulled ahead in the third period with a Gaborik goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Shore and Trevor Lewis. The Wild equalized with a Jason Zucker goal, his nineteenth of the year, courtesy of Tyler Graovac and Schroeder. Minnesota won 5-4 in overtime with a Mikael Granlund goal, his twentieth of the campaign, with helpers from Spurgeon and Mikko Koivu. The three stars went to White, Schroeder, and Spurgeon, while Gaborik, Muzzin, and Shore get the honorable mentions.

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KHL Western Conference Quarterfinal: 1) CSKA Moscow VS. Jokerit Helsinki

The KHL playoffs are back, and we'll return to the old series-post format. Here's the first game of the Western Conference Quarterfinal between CSKA Moscow and Jokerit Helsinki.

Game 1: CSKA Ice Palace, Moscow, Russia. In goal: Ryan Zapolski of Jokerit and Ilya Sorokin of CSKA. Moscow began in the first period with a Bogdan Kiselevich power play goal, powered by Stephane Da Costa. CSKA added on with a Greg Scott goal, passed from Geoff Platt and Jan Mursak. Helsinki got on the board in the second period with an Antti Pihlstrom goal, fueled by Marko Anttila and Arturs Kulda. Moscow answered with a Kiselevich goal, his second of the game, via Scott. Jokerit replied in the third period with a Ville Lajunen goal, courtesy of Jesper Jensen. CSKA iced it at 4-2 with a Vladimir Zharkov empty net goal, set up by Grigory Panin and Ivan Telegin. The three stars were Kiselevich, Scott, and Zharkov. CSKA leads the series 1-0.

Game 2: CSKA Ice Palace, Moscow, Russia. In goal: Ryan Zapolski of Jokerit and Ilya Sorokin of CSKA. Moscow got going in the second period with a Maxim Mamin goal, assisted by Valery Nichushkin. Helsinki tied it in the third period on a Tommi Huhtala goal, via Charles Genoway. CSKA won 2-1 in overtime with a Sergei Andronov goal, passed from Vladimir Zharkov and Igor Ozhiganov. The three stars went to Andronov, Sorokin (18 for 19 in saves), and Mamin. CSKA head out of the country leading the series 2-0.

Game 3: Hartwall Arena, Helsinki, Finland. In goal: Ryan Zapolski for Jokerit and Ilya Sorokin for CSKA. Moscow led off in the first period with a Stephane Da Costa goal, passed from Artyom Sergeyev and Maxim Mamin. CSKA added on with a Mamin goal in the second period, assisted by Bogdan Kiselevich and Da Costa. Helsinki got on the board with a Brian O'Neill power play goal, powered by Topi Jaakola and Peter Regin. Jokerit tied it in the third period with a Tommi Huhtala goal, guided in by Petteri Wirtanen and Jesper Jensen. Moscow took the lead back with a power play goal by Alexander Popov, with assists provided by Valery Nichushkin and Kiselevich. Helsinki retied it on a Ville Lajunen power play goal, made possible by O'Neill and Jaakola. CSKA won 4-3 in overtime with a Jan Mursak goal, fueled by Kirill Petrov and Grigory Panin. The three stars were Mamin, Da Costa, and O'Neill, while Kiselevich and Jaakola get the honorable mentions. CSKA is on the brink of advancing with a 3-0 series lead. 

Game 4: Hartwall Arena, Helsinki, Finland. In goal: Ryan Zapolski for Jokerit and Ilya Sorokin for CSKA. Moscow won 1-0 in overtime with a Geoff Platt goal, assisted by Mikhail Naumenkov and Vladimir Zharkov. The three stars were Platt, Sorokin (25 save shutout), and Zapolski (39 for 40 in saves). CSKA sweeps the series 4-0, sending themselves into the Western Conference Semifinals. 

KHL Western Conference Quarterfinal: 2) SKA St. Petersburg VS. 7) Vityaz Podolsk

The KHL playoffs are back, and we'll return to the old series-post format. Here's the first game of the Western Conference Quarterfinal between SKA St. Petersburg and Vityaz Podolsk.

Game 1: Ice Palace Saint Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Russia. In goal: Harri Sateri of Vityaz and Mikko Koskinen of SKA. St. Petersburg led off in the first period with an Anton Belov power play goal, powered by Evgeny Dadonov and Vadim Shipachyov. Podolsk tied it in the second period with an Alexei Makeyev goal, via Alexander Nikulin. SKA retook the lead with a Nikita Gusev power play goal, going in unassisted. St. Petersburg added on with a Dadonov goal in the third period, also unassisted. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars being Dadonov, Koskinen (22 for 23 in saves), and Gusev. SKA leads 1-0 in the series.

Game 2: Ice Palace Saint Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Russia. In goal: Igor Saprykin of Vityaz and Mikko Koskinen of SKA. St. Petersburg began in the first period with an Evgeny Ketov goal, passed from Yegor Yakovlev and Anton Belov. SKA added on with an Evgeny Dadonov goal, via Arkhip Nekolenko and Vadim Shipachyov. Harri Sateri replaced Saprykin to start the second period. St. Petersburg extended the lead as Ketov scored again, thanks to Dinar Khafizullin and Patrik Hersley. SKA padded the lead with a Pavel Datsyuk goal, assisted by Shipachyov and Hersley. St. Petersburg continued with a Jarno Koskiranta goal, guided in by Sergei Shirokov and Belov. Podolsk got on the board with an Artyom Shvets-Rogovoi goal, helped along by Maxim Afinogenov. SKA answered in the third period with a Hersley goal, coming off of Nikita Gusev and Dadonov. Vityaz replied with a Jakub Jerabek goal, made possible by Ivan Yatsenko and Artyom Chernov. St. Petersburg finished it at 7-2 with an Ilya Kovalchuk power play goal, powered by Belov, who earned a sock trick. The three stars were Ketov, Hersley, and Belov, while Dadonov and Shipachyov get the honorable mentions. SKA travels southeast with a 2-0 series lead.

Game 3: Vityaz Ice Palace, Podolsk, Russia. In goal: Mikko Koskinen of SKA and Harri Sateri of Vityaz. St. Petersburg opened in the first period with a Patrik Hersley power play goal, powered by Jarno Koskiranta and Pavel Datsyuk. SKA added on with an Evgeny Ketov power play goal in the second period, via Hersley and Datsyuk. Podolsk got on the board with an Alexander Nikulin power play goal, with assists provided by Jakub Jerabek. St. Petersburg replied with a Roman Rukavishnikov goal, coming off of Anton Belov. SKA extended the lead as Nikita Gusev scored, thanks to Evgeny Dadonov and Andrei Zubarev. St. Petersburg padded the lead in the third period with an unassisted Datsyuk goal. Vityaz pulled back with an Alexei Kopeikin goal, passed from Mario Kempe. SKA iced it at 6-2 with an Ilya Kovalchuk empty net goal, set up by Koskinen and Datsyuk, the latter earning a sock trick. The three stars went to Datsyuk, Hersley, and Koskinen (29 for 31 in saves). SKA holds a 3-0 series lead, giving them a good chance to advance soon. 

Game 4: Vityaz Ice Palace, Podolsk, Russia. In goal: Mikko Koskinen of SKA and Harri Sateri of Vityaz. St. Petersburg started in the first period with a Jarno Koskiranta power play goal, powered by Pavel Datsyuk and Patrik Hersley. SKA added on with a Vadim Shipachyov goal, passed from Nikita Gusev and Evgeny Dadonov. St. Petersburg extended the lead as Sergei Shirokov scored a power play goal, thanks to Datsyuk and Evgeny Ketov. SKA padded the lead in the second period with a Koskiranta goal, via Alexander Khokhlachyov. St. Petersburg continued with a Nikolai Prokhorkin goal, assisted by Yegor Yakovlev and Sergei Plotnikov. SKA struck again with a Dadonov power play goal, with a lone assist by Ilya Kovalchuk. Podolsk got on the board in the third period with an Alexei Makeyev goal, coming off of Roman Horak and Maxim Afinogenov. SKA iced it at 7-1 with a Dadonov power play goal, with helpers from Gusev and Shipachyov. The three stars went to Koskiranta, Dadonov, and Shipchyov, while Gusev and Datsyuk get the honorable mentions. SKA swept the series 4-0, the first team to punch a ticket to the Western Conference Semifinal round. 

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 131

Seven games for this Sunday, beginning early in...

Dallas, as the Stars host the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Kari Lehtonen are the Finnish goalies. Boston began in the first period with a Brad Marchand goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, assisted by Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak. The Bruins added on with a David Krejci goal, his sixteenth of the year, coming off of Torey Krug and David Backes. Dallas got on the board in the second period with a John Klingberg goal, his tenth of the season, via Jiri Hudler and Devin Shore. The Stars tied it on a Hudler power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin. Boston retook the lead with a Frank Vatrano goal, his tenth of the season, fueled by Kevan Miller and Ryan Spooner. The Bruins extended the lead as Bergeron scored his fifteenth of the year, thanks to Marchand and Zdeno Chara. Boston padded the lead with another Bergeron goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, guided in by Marchand and Krug. Dallas replied on a Seguin goal, his twenty-second of the year, courtesy of Patrick Sharp and Klingberg. The Bruins iced it at 6-3 with a Spooner power play goal, his tenth of the campaign, with helpers from Krug, who got a sock trick, and Pastrnak. The three stars were Bergeron, Marchand, and Krug, while Seguin, Klingberg, Hudler, and Spooner get the honorable mentions.

Back east, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Calgary Flames. Brian Elliott and Eddie Lack draw the starts in goal. Carolina opened in the first period with a Victor Rask power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Jeff Skinner and Noah Hanifin. Calgary tied it in the second period on a Micheal Ferland goal, his eleventh of the year, courtesy of Johnny Gaudreau and T.J. Brodie. The Flames took the lead on a Gaudreau goal, his twelfth of the season, going in unassisted. Calgary added on in the third period with another Gaudreau goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, via Sean Monahan and Brodie. The game ended 3-1, with the three stars awarded to Gaudreau, Elliott (34 for 35 in saves), and Brodie.

Up in New York, the Rangers bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Henrik Lundqvist tend the twines. Columbus started in the first period with an Alexander Wennberg goal, his eleventh of the season, courtesy of David Savard and Oliver Bjorkstrand. New York tied it on a Rick Nash goal, his eighteenth of the year, via Jimmy Vesey and Derek Stepan. The Blue Jackets took the lead back with a Cam Atkinson power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, powered by Sam Gagner and Zach Werenski. Columbus added on with a Wennberg goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, guided in by Bjorkstrand. The Blue Jackets extended the lead as Atkinson scored his second of the game and twenty-ninth of the season, with the help of Brandon Dubinsky. Columbus padded the lead on a Josh Anderson goal, his fourteenth of the year, made possible by William Karlsson and Scott Hartnell. The Rangers got one back with a Jesper Fast goal, his fifth of the campaign, assisted by Marc Staal and Oscar Lindberg. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars going to Wennberg, Atkinson, and Bjorkstrand.

Southwest to Nashville, where the Predators host the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Pekka Rinne guard the cages. Nashville led off in the first period with a Ryan Ellis power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by P.K. Subban and Calle Jarnkrok. Edmonton tied it on a Connor McDavid goal, his twenty-first of the year, helped along by Patrick Maroon. The Predators regained the lead on a Filip Forsberg power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, assisted by James Neal and Ryan Johansen. Nashville added on in the second period with a Vernon Fiddler goal, his second of the year, passed from Roman Josi and Subban. The Oilers pulled back with a power play goal by Milan Lucic, his thirteenth of the season, with helpers from McDavid and Oscar Klefbom. The Predators countered with a Colin Wilson goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Neal and Mattias Ekholm. Edmonton pulled back with a Mark Letestu goal, his twelfth of the season, via Klefbom. The Oilers tied it on a Jordan Eberle goal, his thirteenth of the year, made possible by Andrej Sekera. Nashville pulled ahead in the third period with a Viktor Arvidsson power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, guided in by Neal, who earned a sock trick, and Josi. This produced the 5-4 final, with the three stars handed to Neal, Josi, and Subban, while McDavid and Klefbom get the honorable mentions.

Next up, the Chicago Blackhawks bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Scott Darling are the goalies. Chicago struck first in the first period with a Jonathan Toews goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Nick Schmaltz and Richard Panik. The Blackhawks added on with a Patrick Kane goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, via Toews and Duncan Keith on the power play. St. Louis got on the board with a Magnus Paajarvi goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. The Blues tied it on an Alex Pietrangelo power play goal in the second period, his ninth of the year, powered by David Perron and Patrik Berglund. Chicago took the lead back in the third period with an Artem Anisimov goal, his twenty-second of the season, courtesy of Artemi Panarin. The Blackhawks won 4-2 with a Tanner Kero empty net goal, his fifth of the year, set up by Marian Hossa and Brent Seabrook. The three stars were Toews, Anisimov, and Darling (30 for 32 in saves).

Down in Florida, the Panthers welcome the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson faces a lesser foe in James Reimer in goal. Ottawa was first to score in the first period with a Zack Smith shorthanded goal, his fifteenth of the season, set up by Erik Karlsson. Florida tied it on a Jonathan Marchessault power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Jonathan Huberdeau and Keith Yandle. The Senators retook the lead in the second period on a Kyle Turris goal, his twenty-first of the season, made possible by Mike Hoffman and Karlsson. This produced the eventual 2-1 final, with the three stars belonging to Karlsson, Anderson (37 for 38 in saves), and Turris.

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes host the Buffalo Sabres. Anders Nilsson and Louis Domingue are the backups in goal. Buffalo drew first blood in the first period with a Jack Eichel goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Josh Gorges. The Sabres added on with an Evan Rodrigues goal in the second period, his second of the year, via Jake McCabe and Eichel. Arizona got on the board in the third period with a Max Domi goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Radim Vrbata. The Coyotes tied it on a Jamie McGinn goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Josh Jooris and Jakob Chychrun. Arizona took the lead on a Vrbata goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, courtesy of Alex Goligoski and Domi. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Vrbata, Domi, and Eichel.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 130

Eight games on for a very light Saturday. We begin with...

The Los Angeles Kings hosting the Anaheim Ducks. Jonathan Bernier and Jonathan Quick are the similarly named goalies. Anaheim led off in the first period with an Andrew Cogliano goal, his fourteenth of the season, passed from Ryan Kesler and Jakob Silfverberg. Los Angeles tied it on a Tyler Toffoli goal, his eleventh of the year, assisted by Tanner Pearson and Drew Doughty. The Kings took the lead with a Toffoli goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, with a lone assist by Jeff Carter and Pearson. Los Angeles added on with a Dustin Brown goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Kevin Gravel and Anze Kopitar. The Kings iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Carter, his thirtieth of the campaign, set up by Kopitar and Pearson, the latter earning a sock trick. The three stars went to Toffoli, Pearson, and Carter, while Kopitar gets an honorable mention.

Over in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the New York Rangers. Antti Raanta is mismatched with Cory Schneider in goal. New York began in the first period with a Chris Kreider goal, his twenty-third of the season, via Dan Girardi and Mats Zuccarello. The Rangers added on with an Oscar Lindberg goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Jesper Fast and Nick Holden. New Jersey got on the board in the second period with an Adam Henrique goal, his sixteenth of the season, coming off of Bean Bennett and P.A. Parenteau. The Devils tied it in the third period with a Kyle Palmieri goal, his seventeenth of the year, assisted by Travis Zajac and Taylor Hall. New Jersey took the lead with a Palmieri power play goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the season, powered by Andy Greene and Zajac. New York retied it on an Adam Clendening goal, his second of the year, helped along by Kreider and Mika Zibanejad. The Rangers won 4-3 in overtime with a Zibanejad goal, his eighth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Brady Skjei. The three stars were Zibanejad, Kreider, and Palmieri, while Zajac gets an honorable mention.

Backtracking to Nashville, the Predators host the Washington Capitals. Phillip Grubauer and Juuse Saros are the backups in goal. Washington started in the first period with a Tom Wilson goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Jay Beagle and Daniel Winnik. Nashville tied it on a Roman Josi goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Filip Forsberg and Ryan Johansen. The Predators took the lead with a Forsberg goal, his twenty-third of the season, via Viktor Arvidsson and Ryan Ellis. Nashville added on with a Mike Fisher power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Ellis and P.K. Subban. The Predators extended the lead in the third period as Josi scored his eleventh of the season, a power play goal made possible by Johansen. The Capitals got one back with an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, his fifteenth of the year, courtesy of John Carlson and Justin Williams. Nashville iced it at 5-2 with an Arvidsson empty net goal, his twentieth of the campaign, set up by Forsberg and Johansen, the latter earning a sock trick. The three stars went to Forsberg, Josi, and Johansen, while Arvidsson and Ellis get the honorable mentions.

Up in Columbus, the Blue Jackets bring in the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Joonas Korpisalo are in the creases. Columbus opened in the first period with a Jack Johnson goal, his third of the season, courtesy of David Savard and Markus Hannikainen. The Blue Jackets added on with a Boone Jenner goal, his twelfth of the year, via Cam Atkinson and Brandon Dubinsky. Columbus extended the lead as Nick Foligno scored his twenty-first of the season, thanks to Alexander Wennberg and Brandon Saad. Jean-Francois Berube replaced Greiss in goal in the second period. The Blue Jackets padded the lead with a Josh Anderson goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Jenner and William Karlsson. Columbus continued with an Anderson goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Blue Jackets struck again in the third period with a Foligno goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the year, passed from Savard and Wennberg. Columbus finished it at 7-0 with a Savard goal, his third of the campaign, made possible by Sam Gagner and Saad. The three stars were awarded to Foligno, Anderson, and Savard, while Jenner, Wennberg, and Saad get the honorable mentions.

Up in Canada, the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Frederik Andersen protect the nets. Toronto struck first in the first period with an Auston Matthews goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, helped along by Jake Gardiner and James van Riemsdyk. Montreal tied it in the second period with a Max Pacioretty power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, powered by Alex Galchenyuk and Andrew Shaw. The Canadiens took the lead with a Galchenyuk goal, his thirteenth of the season, via Nikita Nesterov and Nathan Beaulieu. The Maple Leafs retied it in the third period with a Matthews goal, his second of the game and thirtieth of the year, assisted by Zach Hyman and William Nylander. Montreal won 3-2 in overtime with a Shaw goal, his ninth of the campaign, guided in by Tomas Plekanec and Andrei Markov. The three stars were handed to Shaw, Matthews, and Galchenyuk, while Pacioretty gets an honorable mention.

Back stateside, the Pittsburgh Penguins welcome the Philadelphia Flyers to Heinz Field as the Battle of Pennsylvania goes outside. Michal Neuvirth and Matt Murray are in the blue paint. Pittsburgh was first to score in the first period with a Sidney Crosby goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, fueled by Jake Guentzel and Scott Wilson. The Penguins added on with a Nick Bonino goal in the second period, his ninth of the year, a power play goal powered by Guentzel and Brian Dumoulin. Philadelphia got on the board with a Jakub Voracek goal, his sixteenth of the season, guided in by Andrew MacDonald. Pittsburgh replied in the third period with a Matt Cullen goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Eric Fehr and Tom Kuhnhackl. The Flyers answered with a power play goal by Shayne Gostisbehere, his fifth of the season, with assists provided by Claude Giroux and Brayden Schenn. The Penguins countered with a Chad Ruhwedel goal, his second of the year, with a lone assist from Evgeni Malkin. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars going to Guentzel, Cullen, and Ruhwedel.

West to Colorado, where the Avalanche host the Buffalo Sabres. Robin Lehner faces a lesser foe in Jeremy Smith in goal. Colorado drew first blood in the first period with a Gabriel Landeskog goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Mark Barberio and Nathan MacKinnon. The Avalanche added on with a Mikhail Grigorenko goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Matt Nieto and Erik Johnson. Colorado extended the lead as Tyson Barrie scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Mikko Rantanen and Nieto. Buffalo got on the board with a Sam Reinhart power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Jack Eichel and Rasmus Ristolainen. The Sabres got closer in the second period with a Marcus Foligno goal, his tenth of the season, via Justin Bailey and Zemgus Girgensons. The Avalanche answered with a Blake Comeau goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by MacKinnon and Landeskog. Buffalo chipped back with an Evan Rodrigues goal, assisted by Tyler Ennis and Matt Moulson. Colorado iced it at 5-3 with a Landeskog empty net goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the campaign, set up by Comeau. The three stars went to Landeskog, Comeau, and Nieto, while Mackinnon gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Ryan Miller are given the starting nods in goal. San Jose got going in the second period with a Tomas Hertl goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Chris Tierney and Joel Ward. Vancouver tied it on a Daniel Sedin goal, his thirteenth of the year, coming off of Henrik Sedin. The Sharks retook the lead with a Patrick Marleau goal, his twenty-second of the season, via David Schlemko and Tierney. San Jose added on in the third period with a Mikkel Boedker goal, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The Sharks iced it at 4-1 with a Logan Couture power play goal, his twentieth of the campaign, powered by Brent Burns and Joe Pavelski. The three stars went to Tierney, Jones (35 for 36 in saves), and Marleau.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 129

Four games today, beginning with...

The Washington Capitals hosting the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Braden Holtby tend the twines. Washington led off in the first period with a Tom Wilson goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Dmitry Orlov and Taylor Chorney. Edmonton tied it in the second period with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his twenty-third of the year, coming off of Andrej Sekera and Connor McDavid. The Capitals retook the lead in the third period with a Justin Williams goal, his nineteenth of the campaign, made possible by Jay Beagle and Karl Alzner. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Holtby (30 for 31 in saves), Williams, and Wilson.

Down to the Carolina Hurricanes welcoming the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Eddie Lack draw the starts in goal. Carolina began in the first period with a Jordan Staal goal, his twelfth of the season, fueled by Phillip Di Giuseppe and Brock McGinn. The Hurricanes added on in the second period with an Elias Lindholm goal, his sixth of the year, via Di Giuseppe and Staal. Carolina extended the lead as Viktor Stalberg scored his ninth of the campaign, thanks to Sebastian Aho and Victor Rask. This produced the 3-0 final, with the three stars given to Staal, Lack (34 save shutout), and Di Giuseppe.

Further south, the Florida Panthers bring in the Calgary Flames. Chad Johnson and Roberto Luongo are in the blue paint. Florida started in the first period with a Nick Bjugstad power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Jussi Jokinen and Reilly Smith. Calgary tied it on a Sam Bennett goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Michael Stone and Troy Brouwer. The Flames took the lead with a Mikael Backlund goal, his nineteenth of the campaign, helped along by Matthew Tkachuk and Michael Frolik. Calgary added on with a Deryk Engelland goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Frolik and Tkachuk. The Panthers got one back with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his sixteenth of the year, made possible by Jonathan Huberdeau and Smith. The Flames countered in the second period with a Brouwer goal, his tenth of the campaign, with helpers from Matt Stajan and Lance Bouma. The final held from here at 4-2, with the three stars given to Brouwer, Johnson (36 for 38 in saves), and Tkachuk, while Frolik and Smith get the honorable mentions.

Finally, in Dallas, the Stars host the Arizona Coyotes. Louis Domingue is mismatched with Kari Lehtonen in goal. Arizona opened in the first period with a Radim Vrbata goal, his fourteenth of the season, passed from Max Domi and Alex Goligoski. Dallas tied it on a Devin Shore goal, his tenth of the year, via Jiri Hudler and Esa Lindell. The Coyotes took the lead back with a Martin Hanzal goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Vrbata and Connor Murphy. The Stars tied it on a John Klingberg power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Jason Spezza and Shore. Dallas took the lead with a Jamie Benn goal, his twenty-first of the season, helped along by Jordie Benn and Lindell. The Stars added on with a Lauri Korpikoski goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Radek Faksa and Jamie Oleksiak. Dallas extended the lead as Cody Eakin scored his third of the campaign, fueled by Jamie Benn and Brett Ritchie. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars handed to Jamie Benn, Shore, and Lindell, while Vrbata gets the honorable mention.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 128

Six games on for a calm Thursday, beginning with...

The Montreal Canadiens hosting the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Carey Price are the rhyming goalies. New York started in the first period with an Anthony Beauvillier goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Brock Nelson and Nick Leddy. The Islanders added on in the second period with an Anders Lee goal, his twenty-third of the year, coming off of Josh Bailey and John Tavares. New York iced it at 3-0 with a Tavares empty net goal, his twenty-third of the campaign, set up by Bailey and Nelson in the third period. The three stars went to Greiss (24 save shutout), Tavares, and Bailey, while Nelson gets an honorable mention.

Down in Florida, the Tampa Bay Lightning welcome the Calgary Flames. Brian Elliott and Andrei Vasilevskiy are the goalies. Tampa Bay opened in the first period with a Vladislav Namestnikov goal, his ninth of the season, passed from Braydon Coburn and Brayden Point. Calgary tied it in the second period with a Mikael Backlund goal, his eighteenth of the year, courtesy of Mark Giordano and Dougie Hamilton. The Flames took the lead with a Sean Monahan goal, his twentieth of the season, assisted by Johnny Gaudreau and Hamilton. Calgary added on in the third period with a Hamilton power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Backlund and Michael Frolik. The Lightning got one back with a Nikita Kucherov power play goal, his twenty-third of the campaign, made possible by Victor Hedman and Valtteri Filppula. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars given to Hamilton, Backlund, and Monahan.

Back in Canada, the Toronto Maple Leafs bring in the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Frederik Andersen man the nets. Toronto led off in the first period with a Connor Brown goal, his fifteenth of the season, made possible by Tyler Bozak and Jake Gardiner. New York tied it with a J.T. Miller goal, his nineteenth of the year, passed from Kevin Hayes and Brandon Pirri in the third period. The tie went to a shootout, where the Rangers won with Mats Zuccarello and Mika Zibanejad topping Auston Matthews of the Maple Leafs. The three stars of the 2-1 game were Lundqvist (32 for 33 in saves), Andersen (37 for 38 in saves), and Miller.

Stateside, the Nashville Predators host the Colorado Avalanche. Jeremy Smith is mismatched with Pekka Rinne in goal. Nashville began in the first period with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Craig Smith and Roman Josi. Colorado tied it on a Jarome Iginla goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of John Mitchell. The Avalanche took the lead in the second period with a Patrick Wiercioch goal, his fourth of the campaign, passed from Iginla and Andreas Martinsen. The Predators tied it on a Filip Forsberg goal, his twentieth of the season, guided in by Josi and Ryan Johansen. Nashville took the lead with another Forsberg goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, via Johansen. The Predators iced it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Forsberg, completing his hat trick on his twenty-second of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Forsberg, Iginla, and Josi, while Johansen gets an honorable mention.

Up in Chicago, the Blackhawks welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Mike Smith and Corey Crawford are the masked men. Chicago struck first in the first period with a Nick Schmaltz goal, his sixth of the season, via Jonathan Toews and Richard Panik. Arizona tied it on a Jakob Chychrun goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Alex Burmistrov and Max Domi. The Blackhawks retook the lead with a Ryan Hartman goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Marian Hossa. Chicago added on with a Patrick Kane goal, his twenty-first of the year, fueled by Hartman and Tanner Kero. The Coyotes pulled back with a Ryan White goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Burmistrov and Alex Goligoski. Arizona tied it on a Radim Vrbata goal, his thirteenth of the year, assisted by Martin Hanzal and Tobias Rieder. The Blackhawks took the lead back in the second period with a Michal Rozsival goal, made possible by Schmaltz and Toews. Chicago extended the lead as Kane scored his second of the game and twenty-second of the season, with the help of Brent Seabrook. The Blackhawks padded the lead in the third period with a Kane goal, his twenty-third of the year completing his hat trick, with helpers from Artemi Panarin and Artem Anisimov. This stood for a 6-3 win, with the three stars going to Kane, Schmaltz, and Hartman, while Toews and Burmistrov get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Boston Bruins. Anton Khudobin and Peter Budaj are given the starts in goal. Boston was first to score in the first period with a Brad Marchand goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, going in unassisted. Los Angeles tied it on a Kevin Gravel power play goal, powered by Adrian Kempe and Alec Martinez. The Bruins retook the lead in the second period with a David Pastrnak power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, with assists provided by Ryan Spooner and Patrice Bergeron. Boston added on in the third period with a Dominic Moore empty net goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Marchand and Adam McQuaid. The Bruins iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by David Krejci, his fifteenth of the year, set up by Torey Krug. The three stars were Marchand, Pastrnak, and Khudobin (27 for 28 in saves).

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